Rolls-Royce power for first pure LNG-fuelled tugs
The tugs are part of a five-ship newbuild project which is being built at for Norwegian customer Buksér og Berging. The two gas-fuelled ships are to be operated on a long-tern contract with Norwegian state oil company Statoil at its Kårstø gas terminal. Each tug features two Bergen C26:33L6PG engines fueled purely by LNG.
The first tug, Borgøy, is scheduled to enter service in November following sea trials. The second, Bokn, will enter service in 2014..
The Rolls-Royce scope of supply includes the gas tank and supply system and two newly-designed 65t bollard pull US35 azimuth thrusters with 3,000mm ducted CP propellers in a new compact design with shorter stem length.
Neil Gilliver, Rolls-Royce, president – merchant, said: “The completion of this vessel is highly significant for Rolls-Royce, Sanmar Shipyard and Buksér og Berging. We are extremely proud to have worked together on this successful project which heralds a new era for tug boat propulsion. Most of the world’s tug fleets operate close to shore, where emissions regulations are most stringent. As LNG becomes more widely available, I have no doubt that many major ports will soon opt for this clean, lower cost and smoke-free fuel to power their tugs.”
According to Rolls-Royce, the combination of its gas engines and the latest thruster design mean that the two sister vessels’ CO2 emissions will be around 30% lower than conventionally-fuelled tugs. They will also comply with all known future emission regulations.
